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What does a gardener do?

The next time you go outside, pay attention to the beautiful plants around you! These plants are not just in your yard they may be outside of your school, in front of your grocery store, or even surrounding your doctor’s office. Who is in charge of making these outdoor spaces look so fresh and green? Why, gardeners, of course!

Gardeners spend their time taking care of plants. Some people enjoy being gardeners when there is free time, and they take pride in making their yards lovely. You may know one of these types of gardeners, or maybe you are one yourself!

There are other types of gardeners who take care of plants as their job. They work hard all week, and in some cases on weekends, to make sure grass, trees, shrubs, flowers and other plants are as healthy as possible. Some gardeners may also be called groundskeepers or landscape gardeners.

Gardeners do many important jobs, including planting new flowers and trees, watering and feeding plants, keeping bugs away from gardens, making sure the soil is moist and healthy, cutting the grass, removing fallen leaves from the ground, and even picking up trash!

There are gardeners who take care of families’ lawns and plants (like the grass and flowers in your backyard) and gardeners who look after the plants outside of hotels and office buildings. There are even gardeners who make sure the greens of golf courses are at their best. As you can see, gardeners play an important part in making the world around us healthy and beautiful!

Further information

Gardeners are hard workers who enjoy being outside. They get used to working in all types of weather, from the hottest summer afternoons to the coldest winter mornings. Just like the plants they care for, gardeners have to be healthy, since gardening may involve lifting heavy equipment (such as lawnmowers and rakes) or bending to be on the plants’ level!

Exploration

Gardening Time

Now it’s your turn to be a gardener! With the help of a grown-up, pick out one or more plants from a local nursery. You have some fun choices to make:

Will your plant sprout from seeds, or will you take a plant that has already sprouted and transfer it to a bigger soil space?

Will your plant be in the ground or in a container? Do you need to purchase a pot as well?

Are you looking for a plant that is green in all seasons?

Where will you plant your selection?

Will your plant need full sunlight, partial sunlight, or should its home be in the shade? Lavender and verbena do well in the sun, while ferns are excellent shade plants that even thrive inside if you’d like to try being an indoor gardener!

Do you need to purchase soil?

As you can see, gardeners have many decisions to make! Pick plants that you truly like, and enjoy planting them in a special place. Don’t forget to water them. Most importantly, have fun as you watch them grow, thanks to your care!